Present Perfect
by griot aka Michele
Summary: Sara and Grissom miss each other more than expected when Sara goes to a conference. Sixth in the series begun by Not a Working Relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is one within the series begun with Not a Working Relationship. It might be helpful to read that prior to reading this, but is not required. Other stories in the series help to establish the G/S relationship, but stand alone. Beginning with Present Perfect, the remaining stories will be interdependent.**

**As always, I thank my glorious beta readers, Joan Powers and Sheeny. Ladies, your names belong on this as well.**

**Chapter One**

**Sara**

Sara gathered her magazine and sweater as the plane came to a halt and the forward passengers began moving off. She was glad to be home.

The conference had been rewarding. The numerous opportunities to learn new techniques and network with personnel from other labs across the country were sure to benefit not only her, but the rest of the lab as well. The workshop on fingerprint conservation had been especially enlightening. Sara was anxious to write up a report and share it with the rest of the lab.

It had been tough being away for a whole week. She missed Grissom infinitely more than she had expected. Not so much during the days. The lectures and workshops were engaging. The evenings weren't so bad, either. She went out with other conference attendees, learning much about procedures and protocols in other jurisdictions. But the nights….

She had tried not to call him. Her self-control lasted four hours, since she broke down and called him as soon as she checked into her room. His resolve not to call her lasted until he didn't get his usual communication from her during a conference break on her third day away. When they realized that Sara was missing some opportunities at the conference, they agreed not to call anymore unless there was something important to communicate.

The first hours away from home were practically unbearable, as evidenced by her fingers fondling the telephone as if it were a life line with each call placed. But when she was no longer occupied by the phone during every break, people began talking to her. She met some interesting colleagues. The evenings were spent getting to know them better and learning a lot about similar departments across the country. At one point, she had been encouraged to host a gathering in Vegas to showcase the lab and was considering it.

She and Grissom hadn't talked again until this morning, when she called to verify that he was picking her up at the airport. She was gratified to hear that he sounded as excited as she felt. Now, exiting the ramp, she scanned the crowd anxiously, afraid he was running late or had been delayed at the lab. Her need to see him was intense.

There he was. He had already seen her and was smiling broadly. Her heart skipped a beat. She squelched the desire to throw herself at him. The airport was entirely too crowded for such an exhibition. Grissom was very demonstrative when they were alone. But when they were in public, he discouraged any displays of affection.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied. "How was the conference?" He took her carry-on from her hand as they walked toward baggage claim.

"Amazing! I've got tons of stuff to share with the lab. I'm going to write up a report and issue it department-wide. Actually, I should do a series of reports, one on each of the workshops. Maybe even develop a workshop for the staff. With your approval, of course." Although she was feeling much more a full partner in their personal relationship, Sara was still cognizant of Grissom's position of authority when it came to the lab.

"Of course. I'm anxious to read it." Grissom couldn't seem to keep his eyes off her. She was aware of it because she couldn't take her eyes off him.

As they waited for her luggage to arrive on the carousel, Grissom caught her up on what had been happening at the lab. It had been a relatively slow week with several burglaries, two homicides, and an attempted rape. When the bags arrived, each of them picked up one of Sara's suitcases and headed for the car.

A busy departure schedule had necessitated that Grissom park in the farther regions of the short term lot. Sara took her carry-on from Grissom so he would have a free hand to open the trunk remotely as they finally reached his vehicle and headed toward the back to deposit the bags. After bending over to deposit the bags she was carrying next to the one Grissom had already placed in the trunk, Sara then backed away and stood upright. As soon as she did, Grissom grabbed her around the waist with his free hand and pulled her to him, kissing her with gusto.

"I've missed you," he declared when they came up for air. He looked around to see if anyone was near.

"I can tell," she responded breathlessly.

Anxious to get home, they released their grip on one another. Grissom then quickly secured the trunk latch. Each then moved to opposite sides of the car and climbed in. Once Grissom had maneuvered out of the airport onto Tropicana, he reached across the console and took Sara's hand in his. Sara was pleasantly surprised. He rarely showed such affection except in the intimacy of their homes. She squeezed his hand in response.

"So what did you do with your time while I was gone?" inquired Sara.

"I caught up on a lot of paperwork. You will be amazed at my desk. It is empty and in order. As are my file cabinets and work table. You'll be very proud of this new and improved Gil Grissom." Grissom displayed an assumed air of pride as he watched the road.

"I've always been proud of the old Gil Grissom," Sara said, looking at him affectionately.

Surprised, Grissom turned his head to look at Sara. Needing to lighten the mood, he said, "You don't have to butter me up, you know. You can have your way with me as soon as we get home without it."

Sara burst into laughter and Grissom soon followed. They were still laughing when the car pulled into the parking lot at Sara's apartment. After pulling the bags from the trunk, Sara urged Grissom up the stairs to her apartment. She danced at the door as she put her key into the lock.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she whispered. "I'm surprised I didn't wet my pants with all the laughing." As the door swung open, she dropped the bag just inside the door and ran through the bedroom into the bathroom. Grissom kicked the door closed as he carried the bags he had to the bedroom. He returned to pick up the bag that Sara had dropped and carried it into the bedroom as well.

The toilet flushed as he set the bag on the floor. He turned as the bathroom door opened and a very naked Sara Sidle walked out and seductively wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with ardor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and joined in with zeal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Grissom**

It had been the longest week of his life. Grissom sat anxiously at the airport coffee shop awaiting the arrival of Sara's flight. He was two hours early. He'd rather wait for her here than alone at home.

When she had suggested the conference in Baltimore, Grissom had agreed with enthusiasm. As his subordinate, it was an excellent opportunity for her to hone her skills as a criminalist. As her lover, he was much less enthusiastic.

When they had first become intimate, Grissom and Sara had agreed to take time apart regularly. They had surmised that the newness of their relationship would wear off and they would need personal time to do things that interested them individually. Additionally, they had decided that to keep each of them interesting, not only to each other but to their friends and co-workers, they needed to maintain individual, personal time. It was logical and made sense. In theory, that is.

Once their theory became reality, things were quite different. Somehow, the newness had never worn off. On his first night off, time they had agreed would be his personal time, Grissom was quite productive. He did laundry, paid bills, even cleaned his refrigerator, all the while counting down the hours until Sara got off work. As soon as he knew she was due to be off work, he went over to her apartment with breakfast. And by the same token, on her day off, she was at his townhouse when he got off work with a marvelous breakfast and three casseroles in the refrigerator so that they wouldn't have to cook or eat out the rest of the week. Try as they might, they couldn't seem to stay away from each other. He began volunteering at the zoo with her; she went to concerts and lectures with him. They still had their individual interests. They just did them jointly now. After eight months, they still wanted to spend every moment together.

The fear of losing themselves as individuals was unwarranted as well. While looking through his books one day, Sara inquired about the last article he had written. Grissom was embarrassed when he realized that he hadn't written or done any research other than what was required for work in quite some time. After a case, during a discussion on dung beetles, Sara urged Grissom to write an article. She helped him with the initial research, and then helped him again when it came time to set up the experiment to test his hypothesis. When he began the compilation of his data, she insisted that he needed to be alone to concentrate. But after two days, he found he was continually distracted by her absence, thinking about her, wondering what she was doing. After some argument, he convinced her to come back to his apartment. Do whatever she needed or wanted, he told her, but just do it at his apartment. And he found that with her there, he was able to better focus on the project. Within six weeks, his article was submitted and accepted.

While Grissom did experiments and wrote the paper, Sara began work on her own article. One evening while the group was discussing the Lavalle case at the lab, Grissom encouraged her to submit an article concerning the DNA transfer. Intrigued, Sara researched and detailed the case, spending several hours at the WLVU library and countless additional hours on the internet. Her article was accepted for publication two weeks after Grissom's appeared in print. Nick had the article mounted onto a plaque and the night shift threw her a party. The entire lab was almost as proud of her as Grissom was.

No, they were definitely not losing their own identities. If anything, they were further defining them and certainly broadening them.

Grissom left the coffee shop and walked to the concourse to meet Sara. He saw a young man gingerly walking toward the bench near him. The man sat down carefully and rubbed his back. Grissom smiled, remembering the morning after their third night of making love. His back and legs were so sore, he had a hard time getting up and down during evidence collection. Catherine noticed and asked if he was alright. He told her he was trying out a new exercise program. That night, his back screamed in protest in unison with his moans of ecstasy. A visit to the doctor for hydrocodone the next day quieted the muscular protests and they continued their incredibly amorous nights.

By day seven of keeping up this routine, Grissom realized they were focusing more on their physical relationship than their emotional one. When they got to his townhouse, he told Sara they needed to put a stop to their reliance on sex alone to further their relationship. As a test of his theory and their self-discipline, he suggested they have no sex for a week to allow them the necessary time to work on the emotional end of the relationship. He was surprised to find that Sara was relieved. She was exhausted by their robust endeavors.

"Why didn't you say something?" he had asked.

"I've wanted this for so long, I'm not about to give it up because of mere exhaustion. It's not like I'm not enjoying the sex and the cuddling after."

"We can always cuddle. We don't need to have sex to do that." They had been cuddling every night since, sometimes at her place, sometimes at his. A couple of times a week, one or the other of them would initiate a bit more than cuddling. And on occasion, they would have the marathon encounter that required a day or two of hydrocodone to again quiet his back.

Grissom had never imagined his life could be so fulfilling.

And then Sara left for the conference. He told himself that she was only going to be gone for a week. The time away from each other would be good. He busied himself at work with backlogged paperwork. It kept him from going home too early to an empty townhouse. His first night alone, he tossed and turned for an hour. He finally convinced himself that this was no hardship compared to those trying to keep peace in the Middle East. Eventually he got to sleep. By the fourth night, that argument wasn't working any more. Last night, he slept from sheer exhaustion.

How did he let himself become so dependent on the presence of another human being? He should be upset at this revelation. Instead, he was excited. And to further add to this excitement, he heard the announcement that Sara's plane had landed.

People began streaming down the hallway from the gate. He saw her stocking cap first. Why she didn't pack it when she left Baltimore he couldn't quite figure. It didn't matter. She was home. The smile was nearly too broad for his face. Sara's searching eyes finally found his. Her spreading smile made his heart leap. As much as he wanted to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses, he knew this was not the appropriate place.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied. "How was the conference?" Grissom took her carry-on from her hand as they walked toward baggage claim.

"Amazing!" She bubbled on enthusiastically about the various workshops and her desire to write a report to share the information with the lab. Grissom drank in every word and every motion. He noted with unsuppressed joy that she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

"I'm looking forward to reading it," he said as they arrived at the baggage carousel. He tried to compose himself and act more like a co-worker and less like a starry-eyed school boy.

"Things have been fairly slow at the lab this week. Catherine was pretty involved in an attempted rape. We still don't have all the evidence solidified yet, but it looks like we've got the right guy. We just need to tie up a few more loose ends to confirm her theory. I sent Greg out on his first solo, a burglary at the Thrifty Mart. He's still caught up in the fingerprint overload that convenience stores generate. But he's coming along. Then there were a couple of burglaries that Warrick and Nick wrapped up quickly, as well as one I worked with Warrick. One homicide kept Nick pretty busy most of the week. But he found the evidence needed to get a confession from the prime suspect. Even Brass was impressed with his interview on that one. We're still working a homicide from Thursday. I'll assign you to that one with Warrick when you report back to work. He could use some relief. He's been pretty stressed lately."

Grissom recognized Sara's bags by the Las Vegas Zoo stickers she had placed on them. They each picked one up and headed for the car, Grissom leading the way.

When Grissom had arrived two hours prior, there were a large number of planes scheduled for departure. As a result, the short term parking lot was almost full so he had been forced to park nearly in the back row. Now, as they struggled the extra distance with the bags, Grissom wished he had thought to move the car closer after the crowds left. At least he had the remote trunk release. He handed Sara her carry-on and pulled the remote out as they approached the car. He put the bag he was carrying into the trunk first then stepped back to allow Sara access. As she bent over, he glanced around and saw that they were virtually alone. The trunk lid also shielded them from the main terminal. Not that it would matter at this point. He needed to have Sara in his arms.

As she stood up from depositing her bag into the trunk, Grissom put his arms around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her with a passion he had kept restrained for the past thirty minutes.

"I've missed you," he declared when they came up for air. He looked around to see if anyone was near.

"I can tell," she retorted breathlessly.

Anxious to get home, they released their grip on one another. Grissom then quickly secured the trunk latch. Each then moved to opposite sides of the car and climbed in. Once Grissom had maneuvered out of the airport onto Tropicana, he reached across the console and took Sara's hand in his. He felt compelled to touch her, as if holding her hand would keep her close to him, prevent the empty feeling that had engulfed him in her absence. Sara was surprised by the action. However, her wide smile and the squeeze she gave his hand revealed that she was pleased.

"So what did you do with your time while I was gone?" inquired Sara.

"I caught up on a lot of paperwork. You will be amazed at my desk. It is empty and in order. As are my file cabinets and work table. You'll be very proud of this new and improved Gil Grissom." Grissom displayed an assumed air of pride as he watched the road.

"I've always been proud of the old Gil Grissom," Sara said looking at him affectionately.

Surprised, Grissom turned to look at Sara. God, he loved this woman. She knew what he needed to hear. He only hoped that he would be able to give her what she needed. Needing to lighten the mood, he said, "You don't have to butter me up, you know. You can have your way with me as soon as we get home without it."

Sara burst into laughter. Her laughter was infectious. Grissom soon followed. They were still laughing when the car pulled into the parking lot at Sara's apartments. Climbing from the car, Grissom made his way to the trunk. After pulling the bags out, Sara urged Grissom forward, racing up the stairs to her apartment. She danced at the door as she put her key into the lock.

"I've got to get to the bathroom," she whispered. "I'm surprised I didn't wet my pants with all the laughing." As the door swung open, she dropped her bag inside the door and ran into the bedroom toward the bathroom. Grissom kicked the door closed as he carried the bags he had to the bedroom. He returned to pick up the bag that Sara had dropped and carried it into the bedroom as well. He stood a moment in thought. Perhaps he should put them on the bed for her to unpack. No, he decided, he would rather just hold her for now. He'd help her unpack later.

The toilet flushed as he contemplated their next action. He stood and turned as the bathroom door opened and a very naked Sara Sidle walked out and seductively wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with ardor. Pleasantly surprised, he wrapped his arms around her waist and joined in with zeal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_For those of you who want to know all the intimate details of what happened immediately after Chapters one & two, Interlude is posted at my website under Present Perfect. Youngster, stay away. _

_Again, thanks to my betas Joan and Lori. Couldn't do it without you, ladies._

Grissom lay on his side, watching her sleep, his head propped on his hand. He had missed this. It was in these flashes of life that he reveled - just gazing at her face, absent of the normal worry and cares of the day. Relaxed, occasionally smiling and sometimes grimacing as she slept – it was those unguarded snippets of time that revealed the raw Sara Sidle that were his special moments.

She began to stir. His moment was over.

As her eyes fluttered open, he smiled and began running his finger along her arm. She smiled in return, enjoying his touch. Her contentment was apparent. In the comfortable silence, they relaxed, secure in their love. This was how life was supposed to be.

"Marry me." The words were out of his mouth before he knew it.

He didn't regret them. Instead, there was an eager excitement that he had never felt before. Grissom didn't have to think about it to know that this was right.

Sara, on the other hand, was stunned. Her relaxed, prone posture changed to one of tension as she sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet around her. She was motionless for a few moments, composing her thoughts. "We've been apart for a week. We've both missed each other much more than either of us anticipated. But marriage? That won't seem like such a good idea when we get back into our routine."

Grissom sat up and took Sara's hand in his own. "It's true. I missed you infinitively more than I thought I would. I couldn't even sleep at night without you in my arms. The longing was unbearable. It reminded me of what life without you was like. I had forgotten. But now I know what it's like to have you in my life. I don't want to be without you again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Sara. Marry me."

Now panicked, Sara pulled her hand from his grasp and scrambled out of bed, as if escaping. She paced the floor, the sheet dragging behind her has she clutched it close.

Grissom looked at his now empty hand and sighed. "I must be an arrogant bastard. Somehow, I didn't expect this reaction. I thought you might actually want to marry me." He couldn't contain the hurt in his voice.

Hearing that pain, Sara stopped her pacing and looked at Grissom sitting morosely where she had left him. She moved to stand at the foot of the bed. Sara wrung her hands unconsciously, the struggle to find the right words obviously not going well.

Unhappy with her position, Sara moved to the side of the bed and knelt, taking Grissom's hands in hers. "You know I love you. You are in every fiber of my being. I want desperately to spend my life with you, too. I just don't think we need to be married to do that. What's wrong with the way it is now?"

Grissom removed one hand from Sara's and put it to her cheek. Looking deeply into her eyes, he explained, "Marriage is a public commitment that proclaims loudly that you love someone and are devoted to a life together, come what may. I want to make that commitment to you, Sara."

"You've made it to me. Here, now. That's all that matters." Sara rose from the floor, moved onto the bed and faced Grissom. Kissing him with purpose, she declared. "And I commit my life to you. Our lives will be shared. We will continue to nurture each other and love each other for the rest of our lives."

Grissom took Sara's face in his hands and returned her kiss. "We will." Sara relaxed and smiled at him.

"But wouldn't it be more significant if the commitment were public?" Grissom didn't want to let this go.

Sara leaned back on her haunches with a quizzical look. "Why? My commitment to you doesn't rely on someone else's knowledge of it. And I don't believe yours to me does, either." An enlightened look came across her face. "And a public commitment would put an end to the secrecy at the lab. If we got married, we'd probably get fired." Sara looked at Grissom, hopeful that this argument would convince him.

"Sara, there's no specific policy against our relationship. Besides, do you think we can live the rest of our lives without the lab finding out? When we were unsure about where this was going, it made sense to keep it secret. But if we both agree that this relationship is long term, at some point, we're going to have to find a way to reveal it. Even if it means losing our jobs. Because spending my life with you is so much more important than any job."

Risking his job was what had kept them apart for so long. The declaration that she meant more to him than his job, that she was worth the risk, brought tears to her eyes. Grissom got off the bed, pulled Sara up and into his arms, and held her tightly. Sara clung to him fiercely in return.

The shock of Sara's reluctance beginning to subside, Grissom pondered why she was so reluctant. With the veil of hurt gone, it was so obvious.

"Sara, we are not your parents." Sara pulled away, shocked, then embarrassed that Grissom had discovered her weakness. Grissom spoke with conviction. "You can't believe I would ever hurt you. And in spite of what you believe you are capable of, you would never hurt me. Not intentionally. " Grissom took both of his hands and held Sara's face. "You know I'm right."

Sara nodded. "In my head, yes. But in my heart, I'm still afraid. I'm sure no couple ever believes they are going to end up like…that." Sara lowered her eyes, tears beginning to puddle in them.

Grissom lifted her chin until she was looking at him. "Romantics believe that love will conquer all. But love doesn't solve all problems. It is, however, the beginning to all answers. Solutions come with intelligent discourse. Whatever problems your parents had, for whatever reason, they were unable to resolve them. However, we are intelligent enough to work through any problems we might encounter in our marriage in a healthy fashion. You, we just have to believe.

"And work at it. Marriage is hard work. Anything worthwhile is. You have to really want it to work for it to succeed. I really want it to work. I hoped that you did, too." Despite his best efforts, the hurt had crept back into his voice.

Sara threw her arms around Grissom's neck and kissed him passionately. "Grissom, my love, you are the reason that I breathe. How can you think I don't want us to work? I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Happy. And we can be, for the very reasons you said. But a legal declaration is not what makes a marriage work. It's the partnership, the working together to solve the problems. And we have that. Well, most of the time. Except when you get an idea and run off to pursue it and don't bother to tell me. You need to work on that." Sara gave Grissom her signature smirk.

Grissom had the feeling he had just lost this battle. And that was ok…for now. But he did not intend to lose the war, not by a long shot. But no need to let Sara in on that goal at the moment. With that in mind, he had just one last comment to make before allowing her to move on.

"The paper doesn't make the marriage. But the paper does surmount a lot of legal obstacles, like health care and finances. You're uncomfortable with the idea of marriage. I understand why, even though I don't think it's necessarily valid because of who we are. Still, I respect your concerns and will let it go – for now. Know that I'm not giving up. I'm regrouping. We will revisit this topic at a later date. If you don't mind."

Sara wrapped her arms around Grissom's waist. "Of course not. I'm always up for a good…discussion. Intelligent discourse is, after all, the means of achieving any successful solution." Grissom smiled and dragged Sara back into bed. Breakfast could wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Epilogue**

Grissom picked up the paperwork from his desk, walked out of the lab and headed to his car. The jewelry store robbery from last week had been solved. He had volunteered to take the paperwork to the owner so that the evidence could be returned to him. This was tedious work that he normally delegated to his subordinates. But it had been a slow shift giving him too much time to think about Sara's reaction yesterday to his marriage proposal. He got into the Denali, his thoughts teeming as they had been all evening, and began driving.

Rationally, he understood Sara's fear of legal commitment. Her childhood was one of a classically dysfunctional family. The violence was enough to scar anyone. Her parents were married and Sara had somehow linked that to her concept of a turbulent childhood - and the act which finally ripped the family apart. Her fears had deep roots.

Rationally, she was right that they didn't need a legal bond or formal declaration to validate their feelings for or commitment to each other. The love and commitment existed whether a piece of paper was present or not.

Irrationally, he wanted that piece of paper. He wanted that legal declaration. He wanted a highly visible symbol to the rest of the world that he loved Sara and was committed to loving her and preserving her well-being for the rest of his life.

But at this moment in time, her well-being depended upon him not asking something of her she that she couldn't yet give him. He wouldn't bring the subject of marriage up again until she showed some sign that her fears were abating. He wanted to help alleviate those fears. The only thing that he could think of to provide was overwhelming evidence that marriage did not equate violence. Eventually, he hoped the evidence would overcome her damaged past.

Patience. It had served him well in his work. It would serve him just as well in his personal quest. But he needed a plan.

The most serious drawback to his goal was the secrecy to which they had agreed at the beginning of their relationship. As long as their relationship was secret, he could never openly show Sara how rewarding a legal union could be. Sara had shown that she could use the secrecy as an excuse to maintain the status quo. But they both knew that couldn't continue. If they were truly committed to a life together, they could not continue the charade. Marriage or no, they would have to risk the exposure.

But revealing their relationship would not be easy. If they simply went to Ecklie, he could insist that they had been fraudulent in concealing their relationship. They could lose their jobs – if the lab didn't need trained criminalists so desperately. More likely, one or the other of them would have to change shifts to avoid the impropriety of Grissom evaluating Sara in his capacity as supervisor. It was also possible that Catherine could do Sara's evaluation. In that case, they could continue with no real change at work. In most scenarios, they should both be able to continue working at the lab. But tongues would wag. They would be the subject of much gossip. Grissom had never cared about what others thought of him. But the rumors and scandal the revelation would create might be difficult for Sara. So he was reluctant to go the open revelation route. He had yet to come up with another plan.

Once he found a way to overcome that obstacle, the focus would shift to demonstrating how marriage could enhance their lives. Grissom would suggest they buy a house. Selecting and decorating a house is the first big step in creating a home together. That would lead to consolidation of their financial assets. He would insist that they secure their future with wise financial investments. All of these natural steps in a committed relationship pose some obstacles for those not legally bound by marriage. Sara would recognize that.

In their line of work, there were many opportunities to see marriage in all its flaws. They often saw domestic abuse, which reinforced Sara's perception of marriage linked to violence and unhappiness. There were also distraught spouses whose lives had been shattered by the loss of their husband or wife. The person whose husband or wife was found to be a criminal was also a sad example.

But married couples were not always the victim or perpetrator in a crime. Most of the time, they were parents or other loved ones. They provided comfort and a shared sense of grief to each other in a way no one else could. There were often instances where the lack of a legal marriage created serious obstacles for victims. Picking up the personal effects of someone you love with no documentation that you were entitled to them was the most common example. Grissom would make sure Sara was aware of the evidence when marriage was an integral element of the process, whether good or bad.

Grissom had long noticed old married couples. He used to puzzle over their contentment. Now he understood - and envied them. Did Sara notice them as well? As perfect as their lives seemed now, these couples demonstrated how much more enriched their future could be.

The rule of his life would guide him - let the facts speak for themselves. In time, she would recognize the advantages of a legal commitment. And when she did, he would be ready. This was the plan upon which he had decided after his long night of pondering.

Grissom pulled the Denali into a recently vacated spot directly in front of the jewelry store. It was the first time since he had initially been called to the crime scene that he had been so lucky. The sun reflected into his eyes off the store windows as he climbed from the vehicle and Grissom took it as an omen that his prospects were bright. The owner of the store, Brady Randal, met him at the door.

"Mr. Grissom. Has something else come up in regards to the robbery last week? Mr. Brown said that everything was settled after that thief admitted to the crime." His voice was filled with concern.

"No, Mr. Randal. Everything is fine. Harry Stanton pleaded guilty to burglary yesterday and will be a guest of the State of Nevada for the next several years. The paperwork will be processed to return your merchandise as soon as I get your signature. You should have it within the week."

The men walked into the store. Randal laid the paperwork on the display case to provide a firm surface to sign the appropriate papers. Grissom was mesmerized by the sun reflecting off the jewelry in the case as Randal leafed through and signed all the paperwork. He handed them back to Grissom, bringing him out of his reverie. The papers were placed into the file folder Grissom held. Brady Randal and Grissom stood looking at each other.

"Is there something else, Mr. Grissom?"

Looking into the case again, Grissom asked, "While I'm here, can I look at your engagement and wedding rings?"


End file.
